October 24th, 1856: The brig F.C. Clark, loaded with coal and lumber at Erie and bound for Chicago, encountered a severe southwest gale and dense fog when off of Milwaukee. The brig was driven northward, and when off Manitowoc about 11 o'clock at night, she was driven ashore onto the rocks (a few hundred yards off shore) at Yorkville about 2 miles south of the Manitowoc north pier. Within twenty minutes after she was stranded, a heavy sea carried away the boat and bulwarks and stove in the cabin door and windows. At five o'clock in the morning of Oct. 25th, the crew was driven from the cabin by a "flood of water." At eight in the morning, one of the crew made his way to shore by lashing a three-gallon jug to his body. Shortly afterwards the government lifeboat (maned by local citizens) arrived and took off the rest of the crew.
In the spring of 1857 the F.C. Clark was stripped by the steamer Troy.

Service History

The wooden two masted brig was built at St. Clair, Michigan in 1849. The vessel was valued at $10,000 and insured for $6,000.